Tangzu Zetian Wu Planar IEM Review - The New Kings
Tangzu was previously an unheard-of earphone company out of China, but in 2022 they started making waves. The Tangzu Zetian Wu is their best offering to date, and it’s very special, with a large 14.5mm dynamic driver producing some of (if not the) best sound we have heard under $200. Their ability to reproduce music with astute tonality and stunning clarity makes them a must-consider for anyone looking to get into planar IEMs.
In this review, we will discuss what we liked about the Zetian Wu and what we didn’t like and compare it to other planar earphones on the market in 2022.
Update February 2023: Since publishing this review, Tangzu has strangely released a Heyday edition of the same earphone. For us, it actually sounds a bit worse but does come with an upgraded cable and body. If it were my money, I would still rather save a little and opt for the original mentioned in this review.
Price and Availability
Tangzu Zetian Wu Earbuds
Pros:
The Zetian Wu delivers stunning clarity with a holographic presentation as a class-leading sound for the price point. It feels unique and more akin to listening on full-size headphones than on an IEM platform.
The bass is full and deep with excellent sub-bass extension. This makes them very useable for bass-heavy genres like EDM and Rap and addresses an area that many planar IEMs suffer to portray the sound accurately.
The price to performance is outstanding. It is one of the best-sounding earphones you can get for sub $500 (and can even best headphones beyond that price)
The carry case and cable are excellent additional components to the overall package and add to the great value of the IEM. The carry case is high quality and looks great, and the cable has a premium feel with a smooth flow to the design and no detectable microphonic interference.
Cons:
The build quality is ok but lacks next to other planar headphones like the 7Hz Timeless, Raptgo Hook X, and Tin Hifi P1, which all use metal in their bodies. The Zetian Wu has an acrylic body with acrylic nozzles, which may make it more susceptible to damage.
The purple color may not be to everyone’s tastes. It’s quite a bold color choice, and not everyone will like that. Personally, in the ear, I think it looks great, but other commenters said it was a bit too feminine.
Things to consider:
As with most Chifi earphones, one should consider availability and warranty support before purchasing. It’s doubtful that the Tangzu will be available in stores and must be bought online. Buy from a reliable reseller like Linsoul or Amazon, who we have linked above, so they can provide recourse should anything go wrong.
The earphones, while not large, will not fit small ears. If you have small ears, consider a variant of the Tin Hifi P1, which has the smallest design with planar drivers.
Packaging and Accessories
The packaging and accessories are the best I have seen on an earphone at this price. Not only does Tangzu include everything you need to get going without making further purchases the quality of the accessories and packaging blew us away.
The box looks fantastic, with a very Asian design on the outside and good information about the earphones lurking inside. The box is very well made, and the layout really adds to the feeling you have purchased something special.
In the box, you get a fantastic carry case. It’s made from good materials and looks very premium. It comes in a wine-red color accented nicely with a gold zipper for a high-class look. Its size will be divisive because it is a large case. That means it can carry multiple headphones and cables or even a DAP/Amp inside it, but it is far too big to fit in a pocket.
The cable is also very premium and features a quad braid into a dual twist pattern that removes any microphonics. It looks and feels fantastic and is terminated in a 2-pin connector. You can purchase the earphones with either a 3.5mm standard jack or a 4.4mm balanced jack to suit the source you are using with the IEM’s.
Eartips are plentiful, and Tangzu gives many options for size and style. They also include a complete set of eartips with a smaller bore diameter that increases the bass. Given we found the base ample for our needs with the stock tips, I don’t recommend using the bass tips unless exclusively for bass-heavy genres.
Build and Style
Build quality is good for the price, but other planar earphones like the Tin Hifi P1, 7Hz Timeless, Salnotes Dioko, and Raptgo Hook X are better. Those earphones all have a metal construction which inspires more confidence in the earphone’s durability.
The Zetian Wu uses an acrylic body and even an acrylic nozzle, which makes them more at risk of cracking, so extra care should be taken when using them.
The faceplate is stunning, but its color will be decisive given it is such a bold shade of purple, and the earphone is only available in one color option.
Sound
Tangzu Zetian Wu
If you love the highly detailed and spacious sounds, these will be perfect for you. We are well into 2022 now, and this is up there as one of the most impressive earphones I have heard of so far. I also don’t say that in terms of value. If you are looking for what makes a planar IEM special, welcome to the game. This is up there with the P1 and exceeds the performance of the 7Hz.
The sound is 3D-like and with impressive floaty sound space where notes seem to hang crystalline and transparent. The detail wowed me with delightful resonance on strings and a stunning decay where notes seemed to float off before dissipating to nothing.
One criticism of planar technology is that it lacks bass impact, but these are heavy hitters. Sub bass thumps and hammers home low notes on electronic music, and rap and hip-hop benefit from the similar rumble. Yet sub bass is tight and controlled with plenty of detail and texture.
Mids focus on detail and clarity; the earphones are great for imaging and separate the notes to the point they never feel congested. This is the planar magnetic magic we want and that I felt the Dioko and Hook lacked.
Highs crystal, slightly extended but not fatiguing, creates a sense of soundstage associated more with a full-size headphone than an in-ear headphone.
If you loved the P1 but wished they had a bit more low-end thump, these are for you. If you liked the timeless but wished it had more of that holographic presentation of the P1, these are for you. If you wanted to try planars but didn’t want to shell out on expensive DAPs and Amps, these are for you.
A really fantastic experience that is stunningly hard to criticize in terms of sound quality.
Conclusion
We are getting close to December, and the Tangzu Zetian Wu is now in the running for my earphone of the year. What a blend of performance, styling, and accessories. Then when you consider the price, it’s very hard not to recommend these to everyone and everyone looking for a sub $200 IEM. It punches well above its weight, making it easy to forgive that its build is not on a par with its planar brothers. One of the easiest IEMs to recommend ever, welcome to the world of planar IEMs.
